selling baked potatoes would open up all sorts of new high-margin and easy-to-make but yummy non-wheat meals.

i had a look in one of the catalogues in our "wholesalers" drawer and they have a non-fancy one with two compartments (one for baking, one for keeping warm - holding 15 potatoes each) for £9.62/week for a 3-year lease. works out very roughly as £520/year. if we're selling the tatties at a mark-up of £2 (ingredients cost £1.00 to £1.80, sell at £3.80), we'd only have to sell 260 potato meals a year (or 1 meal every day and a half) to make that money back (i know, i know, that's discounting electricity..)

the kitchen would need minor building adjustments (christmas?) of course...

what do people think? it'd be nice to have a baked potato with chilli when i pop in this time next year!

Did Sean come in and tell you about this? Jane, Dai, Sean and I were just talking about this on Friday night. I reckon it'd be a great fit for where the glasswasher currently lives? And even more genius than plain old baked potatoes: baked sweet potatoes!! My mouth is watering already.

We've been chatting a lot about a winter menu (more hot stuff, more seasonal) and simplifying the menu too - I think a baked potato machine would really help. And it would be great for the wheat allergies too...

I like baked potatoes. Especially with fried carrot and mustard seeds. But they do take well over an hour unless you use a microwave, in which case a dedicated oven's a bit of a sad thing... like a once cherished soup spoon forgotten behind the dishwasher. The places that sell baked potatos tend to do very little else for this reason. It's a scale thing really.

Although what do I know. I've never had a reheated baked potato before, maybe they taste fine. It's a lot of electricity but if it's just for winter, the warmth won't be missed. Maybe it'll work.

all i object to is the price. i think having potatoes (and seet potatoes!) would be super ace! i reckon second hand you should easily be able to get what you want for <£200, and untill that option is expored properly it is a bad idea to buy one new.

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Maybe it could work? But it will be a kaleidoscopic blend of mysterious shadows and rainbow hued-dreams seen through compassionate tears.

i think this ebay one is likely to go for £600 or £700, but that seems to be a fair price. i think this particular model the 'classic compact, from king edwards' is probably the perfect one for us, it goes for around £850 new. is this the same one we've been offered for £680?

i am changing my mind on the price, this little oven could be a top idea! it just plugs into the wall also..

i think we should bid on the peterborough one.. and get it delivered if we win - delivery is likely to be less than £100.

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Maybe it could work? But it will be a kaleidoscopic blend of mysterious shadows and rainbow hued-dreams seen through compassionate tears.

The potato machine is in. Fancy pants. Bring filling ideas along to the kitchen meeting on Monday. Also, pricing...

Right now it is sat where the soup urn used to be; also directly above where the wheeled cupboard used to be. This is rather inconvenient since it means we can no longer fit the hob on the counter over there - reducing our ever precious counter space. It would be really, really great (and might even stop Ryan from complaining about the whole thing and telling us 'I told you so') if it could live underneath one of the counters. Maybe where the sanitizer used to be, or move the chaos fridge where it used to be, and put the tattie machine there?

The problem: heat escaping from the steam-chimney-thing and the sides. But, I reckon if the chimney was extended and a small hole cut for it in the back of the counter it would work. It would also be right beside the microwaves (can you say convenienc??). From my non-technical, non-building inclined perspective, it seems doable? Graeme's more technical, more building inclined perspective seemed to agree.

We need to see how hot the oven gets and how much steam is produced as that will determine where it can be positioned. There may be health and safety guidelines we need to follow.
This may be a good time to have a think about re-arranging where the various fridges and freestanding cupboards are located, or even if some of them are needed at all. Does anyone else think re-arranging things is a good idea? Could we discuss at the next kitchen working group meeting?

I've found the machine a bit inconvenient where it is at the moment, it's a bit overbearing and bulky.

However, it is really pretty. I can't wait to start using it!

Are we able to find space where the useless wheelie thing is to the urns/rice maker in?

Maybe we could build a specific Baket Potato stall in the gold room. I'm sure it wouldn't take too long to knock one up. We could have uniforms and lovely hats, and slogans like, "You have come to the right place, for hot potato in your face." Maybe not.

These are takeaway prices, so we don't need to feel bad about charging more. Instead of coleslaw we could use the moister of the 2 nice salads. I don't know if our cream would heat well, but cheese and jalepenos is making me salivate just typing it.

If you want a pomme de terre that is out of the ordinaire, then check out heritage-potatoes.co.uk. They are at the farmers market the 1st and 3rd Saturdays of the month.